Table of contents:
- What is caffeine?
- What is the effect if a woman drinks coffee while pregnant?
- Remember, caffeine is not only contained in coffee
- How do you reduce caffeine consumption during pregnancy?
- Can I drink coffee while breastfeeding?
When pregnant we have to pay more attention to the food ingredients we consume, because what the mother eats also becomes what the fetus eats. Likewise with caffeine. `
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a substance that can stimulate the body's metabolism. Caffeine can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Caffeine can also increase urine production, so consumption of caffeine that is not balanced with consumption of lots of fluids can cause dehydration. In addition, caffeine also stimulates the production of acid in the stomach, which can cause digestive disorders such as heartburn and diarrhea. Caffeine should not be consumed with food, because caffeine decreases the body's ability to absorb iron from food.
What is the effect if a woman drinks coffee while pregnant?
Caffeine can penetrate the placenta easily. The caffeine metabolism in the mother's body during pregnancy is longer than when it is not pregnant. The mother's body is able to digest and remove caffeine from the body, but this is not the case with the fetus. Fetal metabolic ability is still not perfect, so the removal of caffeine from the fetus body is very slow. As a result, the effects of caffeine on the fetus last longer in the fetus than in the mother's body.
Like the effects of caffeine in adults, caffeine can also stimulate and influence fetal sleep patterns. The fetal heart rate increases, the fetus becomes too active and has difficulty sleeping. Caffeine consumption in pregnancy needs to be limited because high amounts of caffeine consumption are thought to be linked to miscarriage and low birth weight.
Remember, caffeine is not only contained in coffee
Caffeine is not only found in coffee, but is also found in tea, soft drinks, chocolate, energy drinks, and medicines. Experts advise pregnant women not to consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day.
The caffeine content in various food products varies. The caffeine content in coffee drink products can also be different. It is very important to always check the ingredients of food before you consume it.
The following is the average caffeine content found in food products that we often encounter. Remember, consumption per day should not exceed 200 mg.
- Brewed coffee (1 cup): 137 mg
- Instant coffee (1 cup): 76 mg
- Coffee-flavored ice cream or yogurt: 2 mg
- Brewed tea (1 cup): 48 mg
- Instant tea (1 cup): 26-36 mg
- Soft drinks (1 can): 37 mg
- Energy drink (1 can): 100 mg
- Dark chocolate (small sticks): 30 mg
- Milk chocolate (small sticks): 11 mg
Pregnant women should avoid sodas and energy drinks because in addition to containing caffeine, their sugar content is also very high, not good for pregnancy. Better to drink lots of water, milk, or fresh fruit juice.
Many over-the-counter medicines contain caffeine, for example cold medicines, headache medicines, and allergy medications. If you get sick during pregnancy, be careful when taking medications. You should always consult your doctor first.
How do you reduce caffeine consumption during pregnancy?
If you are used to consuming a lot of caffeine every day, it will be very difficult to stop consuming caffeine altogether. The following steps you can take to help reduce daily caffeine consumption:
- Shorten the tea time. If you want to drink tea, brewing the tea for 1 minute (compared to the usual 5 minutes) can reduce caffeine levels by half.
- Replace the consumption of brewed coffee with instant coffee. The caffeine content in instant coffee is generally lower. It is even better if you also change the amount of instant coffee to be thinner.
- Choose a coffee product decaf .
Can I drink coffee while breastfeeding?
Apart from being pregnant, caffeine consumption during breastfeeding also affects the baby. Babies' ability to get rid of caffeine from the body is still very slow. The high caffeine content in breast milk can make babies restless, fussy, and have trouble sleeping. Sometimes it also causes digestive disorders in babies.
If the mother wants to consume caffeinated products, you should consume it as soon as the baby has finished breastfeeding, so that the next time the caffeine content in breast milk is reduced. Caffeine consumption of less than 5-6mg / kgbb / day is still in the safe category for both pregnant and nursing mothers.
